Tulsi by Mayer & Mayer
Named in dedication to their family’s pet dog, Mayer & Mayer’s debut album Tulsi is a sweet redemption for Adult Contemporary Music. Characterized as palatable and inoffensive, Adult Contemporary isn’t the most well-respected genre due to its trademark lack of innovation. But the brother and sister duo’s work is exactly what well-made Easy Listening for the modern era should be: inviting, unpretentious, and emotionally sincere. The album’s titular track is a welcoming opener inspired by classic singer/songwriters who perfected the art of intimate, confessional songwriting like Neil Young or James Taylor. “Tulsi” demonstrates that a sense of musical intimacy isn’t created at one singular stage of the music making process; it has cultivated every step of the way. The lyrics are sincere and heartfelt. Mayer & Mayer’s vocal harmonies are tonally warm and tender. Piano and strings ebb and swell at precisely the most emotionally effective moments. “Tulsi\’\’ is crisply mixed to sound like it occupies a small, cozy space, creating both sonic and emotional intimacy. — Autumn James
Wishy Washy by Coco & Clair Clair
Coco & Clair Clair started their excellent 2020 EP, Treat Like Gold, off right with a toy piano and a shopping spree. “Wishy Washy” may be one of the duo’s chiller songs, but they’re no less clever than usual. Over a shimmery bathtime beat, Coco raps about a guy picking her up to buy some Nike Shox and hit up the local Maison Goyard. Despite their flirty flow, Coco & Clair Clair are quick to keep their suitors at a distance; they make it clear to men and women alike that they’re just in it for themselves. It’s this sort of prickly temperament that’s reminiscent of Rihanna’s ANTI-, a masterpiece of material moodiness. Since Treat Like Gold’s release, they’ve put out a string of singles like this month’s “Pop Star” that find them leaning even harder into a cult-like tabloid pop sound. Expect great things in 2021. — Austin Jones
LOST & FOUND by Tony Velour feat. Grandma
In a year where hyperpop morphed from future-facing to almost passe, hip-hop bottled the purest essence of what would soon become a fractured genre. Hyperpop is emo; it’s visual-centric electropop; it’s breakcore; it’s reviving dead artists. But most of this echoes of things we’ve heard before. Perhaps the true trailblazers in a confusing genre of hundreds of sub-communities are the ones really bringing it front and center. After a killer remix of what was otherwise a throwaway track on 100 gecs’ 1,000 gecs and The Tree of Clues, Tony Velour dropped his mostly self-produced tape 3M, featuring guest production from 100 gecs’ Dylan Brady and Hanzo and appearances from rich bitch darling Alice Longyu Gao and, of course, Atlanta’s own Grandma. Vocally, Tony’s in rare form here, and Grandma’s similarly sweet cadence (as well as his co-production) complements the sleek, sexy track perfectly. — Austin Jones
Motorcycle by Salsa Chest
One night last February, my friend Gina hit me up to go to a couple shows with her that evening. The itinerary was for Gina to pick me up from my place, then head downtown for the Salsa Chest set at Murmur, and end the night at The Earl to see Warm Red. We began the evening pre-gaming at my house. By “pre-gaming” I mean we stuck expensive B12 supplement patches to our wrists and took doses of a chocolate-flavored tincture made from foraged mushrooms that Gina described as having a “heart-opening” effect.
On the way to Murmur, Gina asked if I’d seen Salsa Chest play before. I told her I had and thought their performances were really cute and silly, as Salsa Chest doesn’t play live instruments and instead sing along to a backing track while they dance and do little flips and tricks. But Gina had a stronger stance; she said Salsa Chest’s live show “feeds the soul.” Blame it on the tincture, but I learned she wasn’t wrong. The energy in the room was electric and joyous as bandmates Addison Adams and William Kennedy ran around stage hopping on each others’ backs and sliding through the other’s legs during their performance of “Motorcycle.” Excellently produced by Kennedy’s Reptar bandmate Graham Ulicny, the album version of “Motorcycle” even lives up to the live experience in it’s carefree exuberance. Salsa Chest transcends the notion of being a novelty band that does wacky little performances; they’re legitimately skilled makers of playful pop music. — Autumn James
Zayn by Yuli
Dedicated to her son, “Zayn” is an otherworldly, billowy lullaby from Yuli’s debut EP Anemoia. A Detroit-native relocated to Atlanta, Yuli has collaborated with top-tier recording artists like J. Cole and Ari Lennox. She’s not only a skilled musical contributor; on her EP, Yuli proves she is a formidable artist in her own right. “Zayn” is composed with exceptional symphonic prowess. The soft flute and twinkling piano compliment percussive staccato plucks of strings. Eventually crescendoing into a lush, ethereal symphony, Yuli’s astounding orchestral arrangement enfolds and swaddles the listener in all-encompassing, motherly love. — Autumn James
